Opinion: Vancouver, enjoy FIFA World Cup while it lasts — it feels like 2010 Olympics | Daily Hive

Opinion: Vancouver, enjoy the FIFA World Cup while it lasts — it's starting to feel like the 2010 Olympics

1 a.m. on Sunday, June 14, 2026 at Downtown Vancouver's Granville Street Pedestrian Zone for the FIFA World Cup. (Kenneth Chan)

One down, six more matches to go at BC Place Stadium.

Earlier today, while walking into Vancouver’s FIFA World Cup Fan Festival on my way to the media centre, I overheard a conversation between a young man in a Germany jersey and his father.

The son, who appeared to be the age of my generation, remarked that he felt lucky to have experienced both the 2010 Winter Olympics and now the 2026 FIFA World Cup in his hometown.

It was a passing comment, but it stuck with me throughout the day.

As Downtown Vancouver filled with thousands of Australian and Turkish fans ahead of the city’s first FIFA World Cup match yesterday, it became increasingly difficult to ignore the comparisons to 2010. While I always believed this tournament would be a very big deal for Vancouver, the scenes that unfolded surpassed even my most optimistic expectations.

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Right up until the day before the tournament, many people underestimated what Vancouver’s 1/16th share of the FIFA World Cup would look like — that it would be merely seven international soccer matches. The edges of that belief began to quickly erode on the first day, Thursday, when the official free fan festival with its live match screenings at the PNE fairgrounds in Hastings Park opened, with Mexican and South Korean fans taking over the site in mass, and that was also the same day that crowds began to descend on five-block-long Granville Street Pedestrian Zone that also opened on the same day.

That was followed by an even greater turnout at the fan festival for the Canadian opener on Friday.

But Saturday — the day of Vancouver’s first of seven FIFA World Cup matches at BC Place Stadium — and the early morning hours of Sunday proved otherwise.

granville street pedestrian zone vancouver day fifa world cup june 13 2026

5 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at Downtown Vancouver’s Granville Street Pedestrian Zone for the FIFA World Cup. (Kenneth Chan)

Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi! 🇦🇺🦘🐨⚽

FIFA World Cup fever has reached Vancouver. #FIFAWorldCup #WeAre26 #WeAreVancouver pic.twitter.com/EG4p571hqA

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 14, 2026

The scene on the Granville Strip just 3 hours before kickoff.

Little Oz, Vancouver. 🇦🇺🦘🐨⚽ #FIFAWorldCup #WeAre26 #WeAreVancouver pic.twitter.com/YWUt4s2SJv

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 14, 2026

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Opening & Closing Ceremonies.

2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, including the championship final.

And tonight, the first of seven FIFA World Cup matches.

BC Place Stadium has seen a few things.

My view from the media tribune. 🇦🇺⚽🇹🇷 #WeAreVancouver pic.twitter.com/szr9R8laYh

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 14, 2026

Just announced by BC Place Stadium’s announcer… It’s a “Full House” tonight for Vancouver’s first of seven FIFA World Cup matches.

52,497 in attendance. 🇦🇺⚽🇹🇷 #FIFAWorldCup #WeAre26 #WeAreVancouver pic.twitter.com/nI5NEtZfoJ

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 14, 2026

If we are honest with ourselves, what unfolded on the streets of Downtown Vancouver should have changed that perception. And that was before accounting for the remarkable turnout the fan festival — initially by Brazilians and then Australians.

From the moment I arrived on Granville Street at 4 p.m., it was clear something different was happening.

Granville Street was packed. Not busy. Packed. Yet despite the boisterous and celebratory atmosphere, there were no obvious issues, with people appearing to be largely well-behaved.

One of the Socceroos in a green-and-gold jersey spotted my media accreditation lanyard, pulled me aside, grabbed my shoulders, and shouted, “This is phenomenal! Tell the world!” before disappearing back into the mosh pit of Australian supporters. It was an interaction that lasted only a few seconds, but it perfectly summed up the atmosphere of Vancouver’s downtown late in the afternoon.

Thousands of people had effectively taken over the Granville Entertainment District hours before kickoff. The green and gold jerseys of the Socceroos filled patios and spilled into the street. Chants that echoed through the entertainment district broke out every few minutes. People climbed onto patios and railings for a better view. Inflatable kangaroos bounced above the crowd. Green and gold smoke flares repeatedly went off.

At times, it was difficult to move.

Nearby at roughly 6 p.m., thousands of other Australian supporters marched along Robson Street from the West End towards BC Place Stadium in a lively procession of green and gold. Around the same time, Turkish supporters staged their own march starting south of the Downtown Vancouver peninsula, with thousands dressed in red and white making their way to the stadium along Quebec Street after gathering at Jonathan Rogers Park in Mount Pleasant.

Following Team Australia’s 2-0 victory, with the match ending just before 11 p.m., tens of thousands of people made their way to Granville Street. The night was still young, with the sheer intensity of that celebratory energy continuing well into the early morning hours of Sunday — even when I left shortly before 2 a.m.

This was aided by the extensive decorations, activations, interactive installations, patios, and other seating that were temporarily installed on Granville Street by Downtown Van, the local business improvement association, which spearheaded the programming and operations of the closed street. This is Granville Street’s vehicle-free, pedestrian-oriented configuration throughout the 39-day tournament period, and it appears to be working as intended to say the least.

granville street pedestrian zone vancouver night fifa world cup june 13 2026

1 a.m. on Sunday, June 14, 2026 at Downtown Vancouver’s Granville Street Pedestrian Zone for the FIFA World Cup. (Kenneth Chan)

Yes, this is actually what Granville Street in Downtown Vancouver looks like at 1 a.m. 🌛 during the FIFA World Cup.

The energy is surreal. ⚽ #FIFAWorldCup #WeAreVancouver 3/6https://t.co/yScmyWTKLq pic.twitter.com/fs11TgmMHJ

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 15, 2026

This is 1 a.m. 🌛 on the FIFA World Cup Granville Street Pedestrian Zone in Downtown Vancouver after the Australia vs. Turkey match. ⚽ #FIFAWorldCup #WeAreVancouver 2/6https://t.co/yScmyWTKLq pic.twitter.com/0HOk3Ga33h

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 15, 2026

Needless to say, the atmosphere was unlike anything Vancouver has experienced in years.

And yes, it really did bring back memories of 2010.

Longtime or lifelong residents saw flashes of the Olympics, while younger or more recent residents experienced something they may have never seen before.

That comparison should not be overdone — and I think I made that quite clear in my opinion piece last Wednesday, just before the tournament began in North America. The 2010 Winter Olympics were an exponentially larger event for Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada as a whole.

But there were moments on Saturday and in the early morning hours of Sunday when the feeling was remarkably similar.

People without match tickets also flocked to Downtown Vancouver to soak up the atmosphere, much as they have been doing at the fan festival. Many spectators spent hours on Granville Street before eventually making their way to BC Place Stadium.

That is something many people overlooked when trying to assess the value of hosting the tournament — such events, activations, and installations are intended for the vast majority who are unable to access match tickets. The FIFA World Cup has never been just about what happens on the field. It is also about everything that happens around it.

The supporters. The street life. The atmosphere. The chance encounters between visitors and locals. The photos and videos that end up circulating around the world.

1 a.m. on Sunday, June 14, 2026 at Downtown Vancouver’s Granville Street Pedestrian Zone for the FIFA World Cup. (Kenneth Chan)

This is 1 a.m. 🌛 on the FIFA World Cup Granville Street Pedestrian Zone in Downtown Vancouver after the Australia vs. Turkey match. ⚽ #FIFAWorldCup #WeAreVancouver 2/6https://t.co/yScmyWTKLq pic.twitter.com/0HOk3Ga33h

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 15, 2026

1 a.m. 🌛

Granville Street, Downtown Vancouver.

FIFA World Cup. ⚽ #FIFAWorldCup #WeAreVancouver 5/6https://t.co/yScmyWTKLq pic.twitter.com/SjOT8FaDNk

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 15, 2026

Ayy, it is the World Cup time. ⚽ #FIFAWorldCup #WeAreVancouver 6/6https://t.co/yScmyWTKLq pic.twitter.com/1QByJUkj1l

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) June 15, 2026

On Saturday and in the early morning hours of Sunday, not all of the memorable moments took place inside BC Place Stadium. Many unfolded on Granville Street.

And this was just the first of Vancouver’s seven matches, including two featuring Team Canada — on Thursday, June 18 against Qatar and on Wednesday, June 24 against Switzerland. In all likelihood, those days will see Downtown Vancouver, BC Place Stadium, and the fan festival blanketed in a sea of red and white unlike anything the city has witnessed since the surge of patriotism during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Supporters from three other countries will also soon arrive in large numbers. New Zealand will face Egypt on Sunday, June 21, before taking on Belgium on Friday, June 26.

Following the five group stage matches, Vancouver will host two knockout round matches — a round of 32 match on Thursday, July 2, and a round of 16 match on Tuesday, July 7. If the stars align in Vancouver’s way, Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo could potentially play at BC Place Stadium on July 7. Imagine that.

Four of Vancouver’s seven matches will also be held in the evening — most beginning later in the evening — adding another layer of energy to the city’s nightlife as tens of thousands of spectators spill out of the stadium and into already-busy restaurants, bars, and entertainment districts.

There will be a celebratory atmosphere in the city throughout the tournament’s entire 39-day run, but there is little doubt that Vancouver will experience at least seven distinct peaks of activity, each coinciding with a match day at BC Place Stadium.

fifa world cup fan festival freedom mobile arch pne amphitheatre canada vancouver june 12 2026

Canada’s opener at the PNE amphitheatre at the FIFA World Cup Fan Festival on June 12, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

This will not be equivalent to the overall experience and impact of the 2010 Olympics. But for many younger residents, this will likely be the closest thing they experience to what Vancouver felt like in 2010 — a rare moment when the eyes of the world are focused on the city, when strangers from across the globe fill the streets, and when civic and national pride becomes something so visible and shared.

Opportunities like this do not come around often. The Olympics seemed like just yesterday to me but it happened a generation ago now, and prior to that the previous generation had the Expo ’86 World’s Fair. There is a good chance Vancouver will not host another event of the magnitude of the Olympics or a share of the FIFA World Cup for another generation.

Residents are, of course, entitled to their views on the public costs and disruptions associated with hosting the tournament. But with those investments already made and the event now underway, there is also a strong case for embracing the moment rather than sitting it out.

The same was true in the lead-up to the 2010 Olympics. Plenty of people focused on the costs and disruptions, but once the Olympic Torch Relay arrived and the Games began, the atmosphere quickly won many of them over.

Whether it is attending a match in person, visiting the free official FIFA World Cup Fan Festival with live match screenings at the PNE, spending some time on Granville Street and other major destinations of interest within Downtown Vancouver (especially on a match day), the various tournament-themed major public art installations, and to a lesser extent enjoying the various unofficial fan events with live match screenings (such as at Granville Island, Surrey City Centre, and The Shipyards at the Lonsdale waterfront in North Vancouver) this is one of those occasions that people will likely look back on years from now and say, “I remember being there.”

For the next few weeks, Vancouver will be something more than its usual self. It would be a real shame not to make the most of it while it lasts.

fifa world cup robson square vancouver june 12 2026

Robson Square in Downtown Vancouver on June 12, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

2026 FIFA World Cup three-dimensional logo sculpture at Creekside Park in False Creek, backdropped by BC Place Stadium, on June 13, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

tsn ctv fifa world cup broadcast studio jack poole plaza vancouver june 12 2026 2

TSN/CTV FIFA World Cup broadcast studio at Vancouver’s Jack Poole Plaza, as seen on June 12, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

tsn ctv fifa world cup broadcast studio jack poole plaza vancouver june 12 2026

TSN/CTV FIFA World Cup broadcast studio at Vancouver’s Jack Poole Plaza, as seen on June 12, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

granville street pedestrian zone vancouver fifa world cup june 13 2026

Vancouver’s Granville Street Pedestrian Zone for the FIFA World Cup, as seen on June 12, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

fifa world cup vancouver trionda soccer ball false creek june 14 2026 f science world

Adidas FIFA World Cup Trionda soccer ball transformation of Science World, as seen on June 14, 2026 from the Northeast False Creek seawall. (Kenneth Chan)

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